Providing deeper clinical insights and help enable more effective management of patients: Crescendo Bioscience

The mission of Crescendo Bioscience, Inc. is to enable more effective management of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases by providing quantitative, objective molecular tests and disease information services to rheumatologists and patients. Crescendo Bioscience is currently focused on rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a debilitating, chronic disease affecting over 1.5 million people in the United States and more than 2 million in Europe. Although there is no known cure for RA, multiple therapies are available, with widely differing levels of effectiveness and significant potential toxicities. Choosing the optimal treatment from among these therapeutic alternatives is a tremendous challenge.

Vectra® DA is the first and only multi-biomarker blood test validated to measure RA disease activity. Vectra DA integrates the concentrations of 12 serum proteins associated with RA disease activity into a single objective score to help physicians make more informed treatment decisions. Crescendo Bioscience has also developed MyRA™, a free mobile app for people living with RA which was designed to empower patients to regularly track multiple aspects (e.g. medications, morning stiffness, joint pain, daily functionality, etc.) of their RA and easily share the information with their physician.

The Crescendo Difference

We are creating comprehensive models of disease biology through our deep expertise in genetics, gene expression, and quantitative protein analysis. We are also establishing long-term, collaborative relationship with physicians by providing comprehensive diagnostic, prognostic, analysis, therapy selection and monitoring capabilities to improve outcomes over the lifetime of each patient.

Current Focus

Crescendo Bioscience concentrates its efforts in rheumatology and is currently focused on rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a debilitating, chronic disease affecting over 1.5 million people in the United States and more than 2 million in Europe. Although there is no known cure for RA, multiple therapies are available, with widely differing levels of effectiveness and significant potential toxicities. Choosing the optimal treatment from among these therapeutic alternatives is a tremendous challenge.

Crescendo Bioscience is working with physicians, clinical researchers, healthcare administrators, and others to develop an overall strategy that offers:

• Valuable information on individual disease biology to enable rheumatologists and their patients to manage disease
• Comprehensive test reports to facilitate patient management based on a full assessment of both biology and clinical disease manifestations, and allow longitudinal tracking of chronic disease
• An ability to collect meaningful information on individual treatment decisions and outcomes to inform the next generation of therapeutics

What is Vectra DA?

Vectra DA is an advanced blood test for adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It helps you and your doctor better understand your RA disease activity. Vectra DA blood test for RA gives a more complete look at your disease activity by measuring 12 markers of RA disease activity. Some other tests, such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR or “sed rate”), only measure one marker.

Vectra DA test scores can help track your disease activity over time with an objective measure that complements your doctor’s exam and your own assessment.

Patients with high Vectra DA scores have been shown to be at a higher risk for rheumatoid arthritis-related joint damage than patients with low or moderate Vectra DA scores. Vectra DA scores have identified patients with a high risk of future joint damage better than CRP or ESR.

Knowing your risk for joint damage can help you and your doctor assess the treatment plan that’s right for you. Vectra DA has not been validated or studied for diagnosing RA. It has not been studied for use in predicting which specific therapy or class of therapy will work for you.

How does the Vectra DA Blood Test Measure RA Disease Activity?

Vectra DA detects what’s going on below the surface by assessing multiple biological pathways that drive RA disease. Vectra DA provides information about RA that goes beyond physical symptoms. The test measures the levels of 12 markers in your blood, called “biomarkers,” that have been linked to RA inflammation. The 12 biomarkers are combined into a single score between 1 and 100 that indicates your current level of RA disease activity. The single score generated by Vectra DA classifies RA into low, moderate, and high disease activity – the lower the score, the better.

Meet the Mastermind

Bernard Tobin, President: Bernard Tobin previously held several senior positions at Amgen, including Executive Director of National Accounts, General Manager of both the Netherlands and Brazil, and Global Head of Commercial Excellence. In addition, he led the global integration of a business development acquisition in more than 100 countries. Prior to that, Mr. Tobin held a variety of leadership roles in the commercial organization at Eli Lilly and Co. He received his B.S. degree in public service and administration from Iowa State University and his M.B.A. from the Fuqua School of Business, Duke University.

“At Crescendo Bioscience, we are committed to improving rheumatologists’ ability to understand  the biology  underlying RA and to better determine the status of a patient’s disease.”